


red

by soulofme



Series: sheith sentence prompts [3]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Little Red Riding Hood Fusion, Dark Shiro (Voltron), Fairy Tale Retellings, Human Sendak (Voltron), Human Thace (Voltron), M/M, Unhealthy Relationships, Werewolf Shiro (Voltron), thace and sendak are keith's uncles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-26
Updated: 2018-06-28
Packaged: 2019-05-29 02:54:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15063443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soulofme/pseuds/soulofme
Summary: “The wolf’s not going to kill me,” Keith said. “It hasn’t killed anything but sheep.”“You don’t know that. What if it changes its mind? What will you do then?”





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> [sentence prompt #43](http://stefansalfatore.tumblr.com/post/144981395239/sentence-prompts): are you hungry?

Sometimes, Keith liked to believe that he could outrun the town.

Outrun Sendak, and the harsh impact of his hand against his cheek. Outrun the townspeople, who showered him in pity. Outrun the cold winters, the snow that reached his knees on a _good_ day. Outrun the wolf who lived in the woods, the one that howled with the moon and ripped out the throats of sheep.

Sendak had warned him of the wolf. It was the monster that stole his arm from him. He’d tell the story to anyone who would listen, cradling a mug of pale beer in his hand as he did. The people at the tavern would crowd around him, pumping their fists into the air as Sendak described how he’d slashed across the wolf’s nose, leaving it with a jagged, pink scar. _If you see that wolf_ , Sendak would hiss vehemently, _kill it_. _Kill it before it kills you_.

His story did nothing but inspire the hunters of the village. Keith would watch as men and women alike armed themselves with long spears and flaming torches. They’d stomp into the woods, and sometimes he’d be shocked awake by their bloodcurdling screams. They always returned, but there was always something missing. An ear, a chuck of their thigh, a hand.

But that didn’t deter them. Nothing seemed to. Keith felt sick every time another injured hunter ambled into the village. He was close friends with Hunk, the medic’s son. They’d hide in the back of the cabin and watch as Hunk’s mother patched up the wolf’s newest victim.

“Mama says we shouldn’t go into the woods,” Hunk whispered, shuddering. Keith looked at the young man perched on the Garrett’s oak table. He recognized him as Lance, the blacksmith’s son. He only had a few scratches on his cheek. Keith was surprised by how… _minimal_ his injuries seemed to be.

“It’s not killing them,” Keith muttered. “Why isn’t it killing them?”

“Uh…does it matter?” Hunk asked, his voice high-pitched with hysteria. “I’m pretty sure we should be thanking our lucky stars.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Keith said. Lance’s head suddenly swiveled towards them and Keith sunk down against the floor to avoid being seen.

After Lance left, Mrs. Garrett walked to their hiding spot and asked if Keith wanted to stay for dinner. He wanted to, honest to God he _did_ , but Sendak would have his head if he came even a second late.

“Maybe next time,” Keith promised her. “I should be heading home. My uncle’s waiting.”

“Alright,” Mrs. Garrett said. She seemed uneasy as she stood behind him at the door. “Wait, Keith.”

She disappeared back into the house and returned with a large red cape. Keith eyed it curiously. The color reminded him of the cardinal that used to perch outside of his window, the same one Sendak shot dead when he complained about its chirping.

She wrapped it around his shoulders, securing it at the nape of his neck with a tight knot.

“It’s cold outside,” she murmured, pressing her soft hands to his cheeks. “I noticed you didn’t have a coat.”

“The cold doesn’t bother me,” Keith replied, too ashamed to admit that Sendak didn’t even care if he had food to eat, much less warm clothes. “Thank you, Mrs. Garrett.”

She nodded solemnly, bringing him close to press a kiss to his forehead.

“Be careful,” she whispered. “It’s not safe out there.”

Keith looked over her shoulder, where Hunk was watching him with a concerned look. His heart warmed with the thought that these people truly cared about his well-being.

“I will,” he assured her. “Promise.”

He slipped out of the house. The wind howled in his hears, blowing up snow into his face. Keith was suddenly very thankful for the cape wrapped around him. He tugged the edges of it closer together and braced himself against the wind’s relentless assault.

By the time he reached his tiny cabin, Keith was sure his nose was permanently frozen. His torso, though, was kept wonderfully warm. He carefully untied the cape and folded it, holding it tight to his chest. Sendak was sitting at the kitchen table, reading something in the low candle light.

“I’m home,” he announced softly. Sendak grunted and closed the journal. Keith suspected he was running over his notes, preparing for the upcoming hunt.

“Where were you?” he asked.

There was no point in lying, Keith decided.

“At Hunk’s.”

Sendak snarled. “I told you I didn’t want you hanging around with them.”

“They’re good people, Uncle,” Keith said. It was becoming increasingly difficult to rein his anger in.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Sendak snarled. “You’re stupid, just like your damn mother. It’s why she’s dead.”

“Shut up,” Keith hissed. “Don’t talk about her that way.”

“Why?” Sendak taunted, standing so that he could circle Keith menacingly. “Can’t handle the truth?”

“I don’t believe you,” Keith said firmly. “I don’t believe a word you say.”

“What do you know?” Sendak barked out a laugh. “You’ve never met her. You ever wonder why you father dumped you here, Keith? He couldn’t stand to look at your face. You look exactly like her. In every. Single. _Way_.”

He growled the words into Keith’s ear, relishing in the way Keith’s lips curled into a frown. He smiled and Keith felt sick to his stomach. His uncle knew how to show his teeth but shadow his fangs.

Keith hated him to no end.

“Get out of my sight,” Sendak muttered, shoving him away towards the ladder that led to Keith’s loft.

Keith made sure to keep his head held high as he climbed, pushing the rage that boiled inside of him down. He longed to show Sendak exactly how strong he was, but knew that wouldn’t bode well for him.

 It was only when he was settled on his thin pallet that he let an angry tear slip down his cheek.

 

╼ ╾

 

Keith was awoken by his uncle’s yell. He stared at the ceiling for a few moments, debating if he really dared to show his face. A loud rumble of his stomach alerted him that food would win this silent battle, and he tried not to sigh too loudly as he rolled out of bed.

When he made it to the first floor, Sendak was seated at the table again. He looked troubled this time, and growled softly as he slammed a thin sheet of paper down. He dug his spoon into his bowl, shaking his head as he muttered to himself.

“What’s wrong, Uncle?” Keith dared to ask. He wasn’t particularly interested, but he knew that asking may prevent his uncle from turning all of that rage onto him.

“My idiot brother can’t handle himself, that’s what happened,” Sendak snapped. “Doesn’t he know I don’t have time for his bullshit?”

Keith felt himself grow hopeful and forced the soft feeling down. Thace was nothing like Sendak, and it was why Keith preferred his other uncle. Sometimes, when he was feeling generous, Sendak would take him to see Thace. Keith always found himself longing to stay for just a little longer, but Sendak always made sure to keep the visits as short as possible.

After all, Thace lived on the fringes of the village. The townspeople always spoke ill of him, remarking that it was why he was still unmarried. No one in their right mind would want to live in the wolf’s territory.

Keith liked to think that was the only reason his father left him to Sendak.

“Is he alright?”

“He broke his leg trying to hunt a stag,” Sendak said. “Said he won’t be able to come to town for provisions. He wants me to go, but I’ve got a hunt coming up.”

“I could go,” Keith offered, his heart hammering in his ears. He hoped his uncle would relent and allow him to leave. “I know the way, after all.”

“Skinny little thing like you?” Sendak scoffed. “Wolf will eat you right up.”

“I have Mom’s knife,” Keith continued, gritting his teeth. “I know how to protect myself.”

“That useless thing?” Sendak asked, tilting his head to the side. Keith shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. “If you’ve really got a death wish, go ahead. Maybe you’ll finally stop being a burden.”

The words stung, but Keith didn’t let it show.

“Maybe,” he said, ignoring the way his uncle’s eyes burned orange with the flames of the candle before him. “I should get ready.”

He bathed and dressed, taking care to dry his hair as well as he could. He fingered the cape Mrs. Garrett had given to him, hearing her words echo in his head. Keith pushed them away and drew the cape around his shoulders. It fluttered around his calves, and he pulled the hood up over his head.

Taking a basket, Keith didn’t bother to bid Sendak farewell as he left. The sun was out this morning, but did no good in terms of warming the air. Keith shivered and pushed on.

He stopped by the bakery, where Pidge and Matt instantly attacked him with hugs. When he explained Thace’s situation, Pidge’s eyebrows disappeared into her hairline.

“You’re going by yourself?” she hissed. “Haven’t you seen the others?”

“I’ve never seen the wolf before,” Keith insisted, brushing her aside when she tried to grab onto his arm. “I’ve walked through there multiple times with my uncle.”

“But still…”

“The wolf’s not going to kill me,” Keith said. “It hasn’t killed anything but sheep.”

“You don’t know that. What if it changes its mind? What will you do _then_?”

“That’s enough,” Matt said, gently squeezing Pidge’s shoulder. She huffed, but relaxed into his touch.

After a few more minutes of assuring Pidge he’d return in one piece, Keith left the bakery. He stopped by the general store to buy some cured meats and natural remedies for pain, figuring that Thace would appreciate the sentiment. With the shopping out of the way, Keith hooked the basket onto his arm and set into the woods.

The snow crunched loudly beneath his feet, but otherwise it was silent. Keith pushed on, ignoring the uneasy feeling that crawled up his spine. He told himself that it was just Pidge’s words getting to him.

Keith continued to walk, his desire to see Thace pushing him forward. Eventually, though, he had to stop and rest. He leaned against a towering maple tree and turned his face away from the gust of wind that bit at any inch of exposed skin he had.

That was when Keith saw it.

The wolf stood a few feet away. It was… _huge_. Its fur was as dark as night except for the top of its head, where a white tuft stood proudly. Even from where he stood, Keith could clearly make out the scar that stretched from one side of its muzzle to the other.

Keith’s breath was caught in his throat. He didn’t dare to move a muscle. The wolf stepped closer, crushing snow beneath its paw as if it was nothing. It stopped at Keith’s side, pressing its nose against Keith’s knee. Now, Keith could see how grey its eyes were. They reminded him of storm clouds.

“Hey, buddy,” Keith whispered. He was afraid that speaking any louder would somehow spook the animal. “Are you hungry?”

He began to move his hand towards the basket. The wolf growled in warning.

“Don’t worry,” Keith soothed it. “I’m just getting you some food. Look.”

He showed the wolf the piece of smoked sausage he’d manage to grab. It was Thace’s favorite, and he hoped his uncle wouldn’t mourn the loss of it too much. Provided, of course, he made it there _alive_.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” Keith said. He crouched down slowly, putting himself as eye level with the animal. “Here you go. Take it.”

He offered the meat to the wolf. Its eyes swept over it before his mouth opened and his jaws snapped around it. Keith let out a shaky gasp as he retracted his hand. The wolf devoured the sausage, finishing it in mere seconds. It lifted its head and looked at Keith expectantly.

“I’m sorry,” Keith said. “I would give you more, but it’s for my uncle. He hurt himself and isn’t able to come into town. That’s why I’m going to him.”

He held the basket up for emphasis. The wolf’s eyes settled on it before it nudged Keith’s knee. Keith stood and watched as the wolf trotted ahead, stopping when it saw Keith hadn’t moved.

“Are you going to take me there?” he asked, shocked. The wolf’s tail swished.

Keith scrambled to move. The wolf only started to walk once Keith was by its side. Keith reached down towards its head, hesitating before he slid his fingers through the white tuft.

“You’re not so bad,” he said, and he swore that the wolf smiled.

The walk to Thace’s home was silent. Keith passed the time by telling the wolf stories about himself, whether it was school or his friends. It helped to subdue the fear that screamed at him from the back of his head. At any moment, he worried that the wolf would turn on him.

Eventually, his thoughts trailed to Sendak. Before he knew it, Keith was airing his grievances about the man to the animal.

“I don’t know why my father sent me to him,” Keith murmured. The wolf bristled at that. “Did you know he _wanted_ you to eat me?”

The wolf stopped suddenly, its eyes…dark. Keith felt like he was chilled to the bone.

“I know you won’t,” Keith said with conviction. “You’d never eat anyone, right?”

The wolf seemed to be considering that. He suddenly began to walk again, leaving Keith to stare after him in surprise. He decided that continuing to converse with the wolf might not be such a good idea.

When they reached Thace’s house, he exhaled a relieved breath. The wolf nudged Keith’s knee again, urging him towards the cabin.

“Thanks for not eating me, Mr. Wolf,” Keith said, grinning at it. It closed its eyes when Keith ticked it behind one ear.

“Keith!”

“Uncle?” Keith turned towards the sound of his uncle’s voice.

Thace hobbled out of the house, leaning heavily on a wooden cane. When he took another step towards Keith, the wolf growled menacingly, its ears flat to its skull.

“No, it’s okay,” Keith said, pressing his hands to either side of the wolf’s face. “He’s my uncle. He won’t hurt you. I promise.”

“Keith?” Thace asked, looking more than a little shocked at the presence of the wolf. “Please tell me that’s not _the_ wolf.”

“I brought you some food,” Keith said, holding the basket out for his uncle. He kept a watchful eye on the wolf, who seemed to be calmer now. “Sendak told me about what happened.”

“Thank you, Keith,” Thace said warmly, even though Keith could see how his uncle refused to look away from the wolf. “Maybe you should come inside.”

“In a minute,” Keith murmured, distracted. He waited until he heard his uncle’s door snap shut before he began to speak to the wolf. “Hey. I’m okay now. I made it here safely, thanks to you.”

The wolf nuzzled into his touch. Keith laughed softly.

“Good boy,” he said. He patted its side and jerked his chin towards the woods. “Go. I’ll be fine.”

The wolf lingered for a few more moments before it turned around and raced away. Keith’s chest felt uncomfortably tight, but he brushed the feeling off and went inside.

 

╼ ╾

 

Keith stayed with Thace longer than he should have. He knew Sendak would be furious when he returned, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave.

Thace seemed to pick up on this, and stroked a comforting hand down Keith’s spine.

“What’s bothering you, kit?” he asked. Keith frowned.

“I don’t want to leave,” he muttered. “Sendak’s gotten worse. Angrier.”

“He always had trouble keeping his temper in check,” Thace remarked. “It’s what drove our sister away.”

“What about you?” Keith asked. Thace shook his head.

“You know I’m hardly well. My brother didn’t want to be burdened with me.”

Keith flinched and looked away from his uncle.

“I hate him.”

“Now,” Thace scooted his chair closer to Keith’s. “Sendak cares about you. Really. He wouldn’t have taken you in if that wasn’t the case.”

“Why can’t I stay with you?” Keith whispered. “I could help you out. Make sure nothing happens to you.”

“Oh, kit,” Thace murmured. “You can’t stay here. I would love to have you, but it’s too far from the village. You need to be around your friends and the school. It would be unfair to you, especially when winter is at its worst. And let’s not mention that wolf.”

“You saw him, Uncle,” Keith said. “He wasn’t going to hurt me. He brought me all the way here.”

Thace’s eyebrows pinched together, a dubious expression on his face.

“ _It_ ,” Thace corrected softly, making Keith’s cheeks burn, “is a wild animal. They’re unpredictable, Keith.”

Keith shrank under his uncle’s stern gaze, but chose not to comment further. Thace sighed and tucked a strand of hair behind Keith’s ear.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I wish things were different.”

“I know, Uncle,” Keith said, turning into the touch. Thace gave him a sad smile in return.

They went to sleep shortly after that. Even though he was too old for it, Keith curled up beside his uncle in bed. Thace tucked a fur blanket around his chin and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead. Keith shut his eyes tightly, wondering if his mother was as kind as her brother.

In the morning, Thace offered him some clothes to borrow. Keith was practically swimming in the shirt, and decided he should just keep his own pants on. Thace wrapped the cloak around him and drew the hood over Keith’s head.

“You never cease to make me proud,” he said, his eyes shining. “I love you, kit.”

“I love you too, Uncle,” Keith said. His swallowed hard past the lump in his throat. “I’ll visit again.”

He stepped out into the early morning. The air was surprisingly warm today. Not as warm as he would like, but manageable. Keith continued down the path he’d memorized as a boy, keeping alert as he did.

He was almost disappointed that he didn’t see the wolf again, but told himself that was a dangerous line of thought. Like Thace had said, it was a wild animal. It was better for Keith if he didn’t encounter it again.

Wrapping his arms tightly around himself, Keith continued on. He stopped almost instantly, though, when he heard a branch snap behind him. His eyes darted this way and that, seeing nothing but leafless trees and snow. He twisted around, towards the way he came, and found he could only faintly make out Thace’s cabin.

Uneasy, Keith turned back around. He jumped when he saw the man standing in front of him. He was dressed in a thin shirt and long pants. He was broad and muscular, but that wasn’t what got his attention. Keith found his eyes drawn to the pink scar slashed across his nose and the shock of white hair that colored his bangs.

The man stepped forward. Keith moved backwards on instinct.

“You shouldn’t be out here alone,” the man said. His voice was rich, like honey. He smirked, and it was all teeth. “They say there’s a wolf out here.”

“I met the wolf,” Keith said. The man stalked closer and was now circling Keith, laughing softly to himself at how tense he was.

“Oh?” the man raised a brow. “And he didn’t harm you?”

“No,” Keith said. It took a tremendous amount of effort to get the word out.

“Then he must like you very much,” the man decided. “Nonetheless, it would make me more comfortable if I were to take you back to the village. It would be a shame, for a precious thing like you to get… _hurt_.”

Keith wasn’t so sure he wanted to be with the man. But something about him felt achingly familiar, even if Keith was positive he’d never seen him in his life before.

“If that’s what you want,” Keith agreed.

The man looked pleased at that. He waited for Keith to begin walking before he fell into step beside him.

“My name’s Shiro,” the man offered after a moment.

“Keith.”

Shiro smiled warmly. “I know who you are.”

Keith supposed he should be terrified by the words. But somehow, he wasn’t. The thought that Shiro knew who he was and wasn’t ashamed to be seen with him was foreign. Besides his friends and uncles, Keith was used to being ignored.

Shiro didn’t say anything as they walked, and Keith was too busy trying to understand his current situation to think of something to say. When they arrived at the village, Shiro stopped at the edge of the woods.

“I trust that you know your way from here?” he asked, with a mischievous grin.

“Yes,” Keith said. “Thank you, Shiro.”

“Be well, Keith,” Shiro said, and then ducked into the woods. Keith found himself watching the man’s back, even as he disappeared between the trees.

Shaking his head, Keith began to walk home. He furrowed his eyebrows when he noticed a large crowd around the cabin he shared with Sendak. He was convinced that Sendak was boasting about a successful hunt until he heard the wretched sobs that colored the air.

Pushing through the crowd, Keith tried to see what everyone was looking at. He was stopped by a hand around his arm, and turned to see Lance shaking his head. The pink scars on his cheek—left behind by the wolf’s claws—seemed awfully bright.

“I don’t think you should be here,” Lance said. His expression was a horrific combination of concerned and frightened.

“What happened?” Keith asked. Lance hesitated, wincing when another broken wail sliced through the air.

“It’s Sendak,” he finally said after a few long minutes.

“What?” Keith felt numb. “Lance?”

Lance swallowed hard enough that Keith watched his Adam’s apple bob. His grip around Keith’s arm loosened, allowing him to finally push through the crowd. He shoved into the house, stopping cold when he saw the bloody paw prints covering the floor. He stumbled backwards, nauseous almost at once, when he saw Sendak laying right in the center.

Well, it was more accurate to say what _remained_ of Sendak. He was horribly disfigured, with large chunks of flesh missing from various parts of his body. The only thing that remained appeared to be scraps of clothing, torn and soaked thoroughly with blood.

“What is this?” Keith asked, feeling as if he was going to faint.

Lance was by his side in a second, steadying him. He turned Keith away from the mess and led him back outside.

“It was the wolf, Keith,” Lance whispered. “It ate him.”

Keith barely had time to process the words before his whole world went black.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you asked and i delivered! this is the actual last part, promise haha

“I can’t believe he’s here.”

“What do you think’ll happen to him now?”

“Who knows? He’s bad luck. First his parents, then his uncle…I’d stay away from him if I were you.”

“Yeah. Far away. Wouldn’t want to be next.”

Keith’s hand clenched into a fist. Behind him, the whispers seemed to be gradually getting louder and louder. Hunk shifted uneasily beside him, his wide eyes darting from the kids to Keith.

“Hey, don’t listen to them,” Hunk said, reaching for Keith’s shoulder. He didn’t look surprised when Keith violently twisted away from the comforting touch. “They don’t know what they’re talking about.”

“You sure about that?” Keith asked with a bitter laugh. “They’re not wrong, after all.”

“What happened to Sendak had nothing to do with you,” Hunk said, his eyebrows furrowed. “You know that, right?”

“Of course,” Keith muttered darkly, shoving away from the desk. “It was that fucking wolf.”

He stormed out of the school building, ignoring the excited chatters that trailed after him. Tugging the hood of his cloak up, Keith turned his back to the village and escaped into the woods.

He didn’t know where he was going. He was too ashamed to see Thace. He knew his uncle would never blame him for what happened, but Keith couldn’t help but worry that he would. He’d lost both of his siblings, now, and all while Keith happened to be around.

He snorted. Maybe he _was_ bad luck.

Shaking his head, Keith stopped. He wouldn’t venture too far today. He didn’t have anything on him other than his cloak and his mother’s knife. There was talk among the villagers of a possible storm. Allura had supposedly predicted it. There were rumors that she was a witch of sorts. No one could prove it, though, and she insisted that she was simply able to talk to God.

Keith didn’t care either way. It wasn’t his business. Besides, witches weren’t _real_. That was like saying werewolves weren’t just made-up beasts brought into existence to ensure children wouldn’t sneak out after bedtime.

Exhausted, Keith settled down and rested his arms on his knees. The cape fanned out around him, the red a shocking contrast to the snow around him. He narrowed his eyes when he noticed small red dots coloring the snow beside him.

“What is that?” Keith muttered to himself. He leaned closer but froze upon hearing the menacing growl.

The wolf was back.

Keith raised his eyes to met its. The wolf tilted its head to the side, regarding him. Its muzzle was stained with blood. Keith guessed it had just hunted. He didn’t dare to think of _what_ exactly its prey was.

It stepped closer to Keith and pressed its cold nose to the hollow of his throat. He found himself wondering if it could feel him swallowing. He forced himself not to shake as it sniffed along his collarbones before stepping back, seemingly pleased with what it found.

“You killed him.”

It was the only thing he could think to say. The wolf looked like it was nodding proudly to Keith’s words. He nearly shuddered at the thought.

“I don’t know why you did,” Keith whispered. “Were you finishing him off?”

The wolf shook its head. Keith thought there was something strangely human about it.

“Were you hungry?” He regretted the question as soon as he said it. The wolf hadn’t done this out of hunger. It was sending a message. Keith was sure of it.

But what the message was, he didn’t know. Nonetheless, he wasn’t surprised when the wolf shook its head again. It punctuated the silent statement with a displeased grunt, as if it couldn’t fathom why Keith would ask such a thing.

“Then…” he trailed off, struggling to think of his next words. “Did you do it for me?”

The wolf didn’t move for a moment. Its long tail swished once before it nodded, pressing its muzzle to Keith’s knee as if to congratulate him on guessing the correct answer.

Keith’s mind went blank. The wolf plopped down beside him and pressed its body alongside his, as if it belonged there.

He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know whether to be pleased or terrified. He hated Sendak, didn’t he? Keith had never gone so far as to wish his uncle dead, but…wasn’t this a _good_ thing? Sendak would never lay another hand on him again, or belittle him, or hurt him! Keith should be grateful. He should be worshiping this wolf, thanking it for making his life easier.

And yet, he found that he couldn’t do that. When Keith looked at the animal cuddled up beside him, he couldn’t imagine himself thanking the creature. Sendak was all he had. Even if he didn't trust his uncle, he depended on him. But the wolf had been selfish. It was a monster. It was a bloodthirsty monster, and Keith was _wrong_ about it. It would eat someone.

It _had_ eaten someone.

He reached for his mother’s knife before he could think about it. The wolf, whose eyes had been closed, started at the sudden motion. Keith ignored how the knife trembled in his grip and held the hilt tighter. He raised himself to a crouch and pressed the tip of the blade into the wolf’s throat.

“You’re a monster,” Keith murmured. “You didn’t do it for me. You did it for yourself.”

He pressed the knife in deeper. The wolf growled, and Keith swore that he felt how the blade rumbled with the noise. He ignored the warning and drew back, knife held high over his head.

He never got the chance to finish his strike, though. The wolf lunged at him, knocking the weapon away. It landed a few feet from Keith with a quiet thud. He could hardly make out the hilt in the deep snow.

The wolf snapped its jaws in Keith’s face. He didn’t flinch, not even when a mixture of saliva and blood dripped onto his face. He kneed the wolf in its underbelly, undeterred even when the animal showed no sign of giving up.

“Kill me, then,” he urged it. “Kill me just like you killed my uncle.”

The wolf dove for his neck. Keith closed his eyes, waiting to feel its sharp teeth shred through his skin.

But no such feeling ever came. He could feel the wolf’s hot breath on his throat, but it wasn’t biting him.

In one fluid motion, the wolf ripped Keith’s cloak from his neck. Keith stared at the scrap of fabric that hung from its mouth. It was a warning.

 _Try this again,_ the wolf seemed to be saying, _and you won’t be so lucky_.

“I understand,” Keith said slowly.

The wolf, seemingly satisfied by the turn of events, took off. Keith only dared to move once it was out of his sight.

He tugged the ruined cloak off and retrieved his mother’s knife. He stared at his reflection, seeing his messy hair and rosy cheeks. Sendak’s words echoed in his mind.

_“That useless thing? If you’ve really got a death wish, go ahead. Maybe you’ll finally stop being a burden.”_

“I guess you won’t get your wish, Uncle,” he said, and angrily sheathed the knife.

When he returned to the village, Keith was surprised to see Pidge waiting for him. She stood up straight when she caught sight of him before she rushed forward.

“Hunk said you ran out of lessons,” she said, her eyes raking over him. She gasped as her eyes zeroed in on a spot on his neck. “Keith! What happened?”

“What?” Keith asked, and prodded at his throat. He winced at the sudden sting, and was surprised to find his fingertips stained with blood when he inspected them.

Pidge’s eyes traveled to the ruined cloak bundled in Keith’s hand. Her eyes darted back and forth between the cloak and his throat before she shook her head vehemently.

“Tell me you weren’t out there with it,” she begged. Keith looked away. He was never able to lie to her. Not well, at least. There would be no point in attempting to do so now.

“I’m alive, aren’t I?” Keith snapped, brushing past her. Pidge easily followed after him.

“That wolf is out for blood, Keith,” she said, pulling on his arm until he was forced to stop and face her. “What makes you think it’s going to stop at Sendak?”

“We’re not talking about this,” Keith insisted, wiggling free.

“At least go to Hunk’s,” Pidge called after him. “Who knows where that wolf has been.”

Keith rolled his eyes but found himself walking the familiar path to Hunk’s home. His mother was the one to answer the door, and she looked absolutely horrified.

“Keith…”

“Pidge thinks I should get this checked out,” Keith said, tilting his neck this way and that. “How bad is it?”

Mrs. Garrett gently directed him to the table. He sat on it, too irritated to fully realize that _he_ was now the one being treated. He spotted Hunk but looked away, unable to meet his eyes.

“What happened?” Mrs. Garrett asked.

“You know what happened,” Keith said. He tossed the cloak onto the table. “Think it’s a message?”

She paused halfway into applying a cooling salve on the scratches to look at the cloak. She held it up with shaking hands, her eyes watering the longer she looked at it.

“You were lucky,” she finally decided. Keith didn’t have to heart to tell her that _he_ was the one to initiate the altercation.

“Incredibly,” he muttered.

Mrs. Garrett applied the last of the salve and told him to minimize outside exposure. She looked at the torn cape and sighed.

“I’ll fix it for you,” she promised. Her eyes went from the door to him before she sighed. “Forgive me, but I think it’ll be best if you stay here tonight. I’m not comfortable sending you home now. Especially after…”

Keith wanted to argue, but knew that Mrs. Garrett’s intentions came from a good place. He found himself nodding, and allowed her to lead him to the spare room.

“I can fix you something to eat,” she said.

“I don’t have much of an appetite,” Keith said. It was entirely true. The simple thought of food had his stomach twisting sharply in displeasure. “Thank you, Mrs. Garrett.”

She smiled but said nothing as she shut the door. Keith sat heavily on the bed and cradled his head in his hands. He felt like he was going mad. His whole life had changed drastically over the course of two days.

His uncle was dead, and he was sure that the wolf now hated him. He didn’t know why the latter bothered him more than the former. Shaking his head, he kicked his boots off and threw the covers over his head. He wouldn’t give today’s events a second thought.

He couldn’t.

The wolf had entered his life in a way that felt far too intimate, and Keith refused to let it in any further. Thace was right. It was a wild animal, and it needed to be treated as such.

And with that, the last of Keith’s affection for the animal bled away.

 

╼ ╾

 

It took Keith weeks to muster the courage to enter the woods again.

Should anyone ask, he was going to visit Thace. No one would give him a hard time about that. The townspeople still avoided him as if he was the plague; no one spoke directly to him. He floated in and out of the village like an apparition, if such a thing were to really exist.

The cloak, good as new, lay across Keith’s shoulders. He was never more grateful for it as he crept through the woods, searching this way and that for the wolf. The snow was particularly heavy today. It seemed that Allura’s prediction had come true. 

It figured that when he wanted to see it, it wouldn’t show. Keith didn’t let the overwhelming feeling of disappointment stop him, though. He kept a hand over his mother’s blade and continued on. He would go as far as he needed to today.

Today, he would end it. The wolf would no longer interrupt his life.

“Back in the woods, I see.”

Keith drew the blade as he turned. Shiro looked unimpressed by it. Gone was his cocky smirk and bright eyes. There was a serious look on the man’s face, one that Keith found himself narrowing his eyes at.

“Sneaking up on me again, I see,” Keith mocked. He didn’t have time for this. He needed to find that damn wolf.

Shiro cocked his head to the side. “What’s the matter, Red?”

Keith snarled. “Don’t call me that.”

“My, hostile, are we?” That cursed smirk was back on Shiro’s face. He stepped forward.

“I don’t have time for this,” Keith hissed.

“I gathered as much,” Shiro replied, gesturing towards the knife. “Going somewhere?”

“I’m going to kill the wolf.”

“Oh?” Shiro laughed. “What makes you think you can do that?”

“It’s been a menace for long enough,” Keith said. “It would be foolish to let it continue running our lives.”

“I heard about your uncle,” Shiro said abruptly. “A shame, isn’t it? I suppose the wolf simply wanted to put him in his place.”

“No. It just wanted to kill.”

“You sound sure of that,” Shiro commented. “Did you ask it?”

Keith didn’t answer. His ears felt hot with a mixture of embarrassment and anger. He wanted to get away from Shiro. His presence made every hair on the back of Keith’s neck stand up on end. Something was off about him. Keith was sure of it. He’d be blind to not see it.

“Don’t be stupid,” Keith said. “It’s a wild animal. That’s what it does.”

“A strong assertion,” Shiro said. “How do you know you’re right?”

“I just am,” Keith answered. It was a weak response, but something about Shiro made it hard to think.

“You’re not afraid of it.” It was a statement. Shiro began circling Keith, much like he had the first time they met. There was something more purposeful about his movements, though.

Something… _predatory_.

“I have no reason to be.”

“That’s not true,” Shiro said. He suddenly grabbed Keith and pulled him close, a hand trailing across the thin, scabbed scratches on his neck. “It spared you. It won’t do so a second time.”

“Now how do _you_ know that?”

“It’s instinct,” Shiro murmured. “Every animal is run by it. It’s what helps them survive. When it perceives a threat, an animal will do everything in its power to protect itself.”

“Not unlike humans, then.”

“No,” Shiro agreed, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiled. “Not unlike them.”

Keith removed himself from Shiro’s grasp.

“I should get going.”

“What if it turns on you?” Shiro asked. “Would you let it finish you? Or will you fight?”

“You know the answer to that,” Keith said, readjusting his hood. He ignored how Shiro’s eyes raked down the length of his body.

“Yes,” Shiro said ominously. “I do.”

Keith repressed a shiver and turned his back to him. He gripped the hilt of the knife tightly, ignoring how his heart beat loud as a drum in his ears. He was not afraid. He knew he could do this. He would not be bested by a mere animal. Keith wasn’t weak like his uncle. He was strong, incredibly so, and he _would_ end this.

The first night in the woods was unsuccessful, and so were the many nights after. The wolf did not show. Keith didn’t even see its paw prints. He knew he was very far into the woods by now. He had passed Thace’s cabin along the way. He wanted to stop by more than anything and accept comfort in his uncle’s arms.

His desire to kill pushed him past his uncle’s home. He walked and walked until his aching feet forced him to stop. He rested at the base of a tree and built a small fire to keep himself warm. When an unsuspecting rabbit dared to come close to his temporary camp, Keith killed it and roasted it over the flames.

A small part of him was terrified of what he was becoming. He didn’t know what this turn of events meant for him. Would he be hailed as a hero? Or would he be seen as a monster, just like the animal he killed?

No. That was the exhaustion talking. It was cold today, colder than ever. The storm was in full force.

Keith was doing the right thing. He knew he was. Nothing would convince him otherwise. Not the voice in the back of his head that urged him to return home.

Not even Shiro, who seemed convinced that Keith would meet his match in the worst possible way.

Keith buried his face in his knees. It didn’t matter what Shiro thought. He was a strange man who occupied the woods. What worth did his words have?

Closing his eyes, Keith forced all thoughts of Shiro away. He would prove him wrong. He knew he would.

 

╼ ╾

 

When Keith awoke, he was pleasantly warm. He stared sleepily at his surroundings, noting the thick mound of fur he was covered in. A fire crackled somewhere to his right, and Keith figured that was the source of the warmth. He snuggled further into the pillow beneath his head.

Keith jerked awake and sat up. He was in a cabin, but it was not his own or even Thace’s. The last thing he remembered, he was asleep at the base of an oak. How on earth had he gotten _here_?

His heartbeat spiked when he realized that he had no idea where _here_ was. Throwing the furs off of his body, Keith let his feet hit the floor. The cold surface grounded him. Now that he was fully awake, he could smell the heavy scent of cooking meat. When he listened closely, he recognized the popping of oil and the soft, cheerful sound of whistling.

Keith patted himself for the knife. He was horrified to find that it was gone, along with his clothes. He was dressed in a shirt and pants that were far too big on him. The only familiar thing he could spot was his cloak, hung up on the bedpost to dry.

Keith swallowed hard and pressed forward. The floorboards creaked beneath his weight and he cursed at the sound. The whistling stopped abruptly, and Keith knew that he was caught. There was no use in sneaking about now.

He stepped out of the hall into the kitchen. His eyes roamed around the small area before settling on the body positioned before the fireplace. The figure was crouched down, his broad back bare. Keith eyed the scars that littered the pale skin, each of varying length and thickness.

The figure stood and faced him.

“Morning, Red,” Shiro chirped, waving his spatula towards the fire. “Hungry?”

“What did you do to me?” Keith growled.

Shiro frowned exaggeratedly. “Is that any way to speak to the person who saved your life?”

“You didn’t save me,” Keith muttered. Shiro snorted.

“Please,” he said. “If I hadn’t shown up when I did, you would’ve froze to death. What were you thinking?”

“I told you why I was out there.”

“And _I_ told you that you wouldn’t be able to do it,” Shiro said. “Were you?”

“What do you care?”

“No, then,” Shiro said, shaking his head. “A pity. You seemed so set on it, too.”

Keith rolled his eyes. He couldn’t stand to be around this man for another second.

“I should leave. I have things to do.”

“Ah, yes!” Shiro settled himself in one of his chairs and folded his hands behind his head. His signature smirk was on his face once more. “You’re quite a busy man, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” Keith grit out. “Now, if you’ll be so _kind_ to return my knife to me, I’ll be on my way.”

“That useless thing?” Shiro asked. “What could you possibly use _that_ for?”

His words made shivers race up Keith’s spine. His jaw worked uselessly as he attempted to think of an answer. How was it that Shiro was able to _perfectly_ capture Sendak’s condescending tone?

“Hey, Keith,” Shiro said, sitting forward with a curious look on his face. “What would you say if I told you I saw the wolf?”

“You didn’t,” Keith said, his brain finally working again. Shiro raised a brow.

“I didn’t?”

“You’re lying,” Keith said. “I was out there for days.”

“You see, I’m a rather skilled hunter,” Shiro said, standing up and beginning to pace the length of the room. “I know how to stay hidden and when to show myself. It’s a crucial skill, you see.”

“I can imagine.”

“You, however,” Shiro paused to bark out a laugh. “Do you have any idea how easy it was to see you? That cloak certainly doesn’t help things either.”

“What are you talking about?” Keith whispered, his blood turning into ice in his veins.

Shiro stepped towards him and didn’t stop, not until Keith’s back was pressed firmly against the wall. This close, Keith could look nowhere but into his eyes. They were nearly black, with only a thin line of storm grey left.

“Anytime I wanted you, you were right there,” Shiro growled. “It was like you _wanted_ me to find you. I wanted to give in. Oh, you have no idea what you _did_ to me.”

Keith’s eyes went wide. There was no way. It wasn’t possible. That was something out a fairy tale. It was a stupid story some fool thought of and decided to share. _That_ wasn’t real life. And yet…

“You’re the wolf.”

“You figured it out, Red,” Shiro cooed. “I’m so _proud_ of you.”

Keith squirmed uncomfortably between the wall and the solid mass of Shiro’s body.

“How long have you been following me?” he asked, his voice shaking horribly.

“The first time I saw you,” Shiro said. “I was tempted to take you right then and there. But you were too innocent for me. I needed to wait, I decided. And now look at you!”

He trailed a finger down the side of Keith’s face, seemingly uncaring of how he flinched away from the gentle touch.

“You were the first person to be kind to me,” Shiro continued. “I knew from that day that you were mine.”

“I don’t belong to you.”

“You see,” Shiro murmured, “when a wolf imprints on their mate, they become unconditionally bound to them for the rest of their life. Everything they do centers around them. They’d do anything to please their mate, even if it means putting themselves in harm’s way.”

“I’m not your mate!” Keith snarled, struggling to free himself. He stopped when Shiro grabbed his arms and slammed them back against the wall.

“You wanted that bastard gone and I _got rid of him_ ,” Shiro said, his quiet tone a sharp contrast to the brutish way he held Keith’s wrists. “Everything I do is to make you happy.”

“You murdered my uncle,” Keith growled. “How can you possibly live with yourself?”

He pushed as hard as he could against Shiro’s grasp. Shiro hissed and shoved Keith back.

“I did you a favor! If I didn’t kill him, he would’ve killed _you_! You said it yourself. He wanted you gone!”

“I never asked for you to do that! Who gave you the right?!”

“You did,” Shiro said. “The second you told me about him, I knew that was what you wanted. You don’t want to admit that you’re glad he’s gone. You’re trying to fit in, aren’t you? You never will, Keith. You told me yourself. No one in the village cares about you. So why do you bother with them?”

Keith froze. Everything Shiro said…was _true_. He couldn’t deny it. But he didn’t want to agree with the monster in front of him. He couldn’t.

Even so, his hands went limp in Shiro’s hold. He was released instantly.

“I’ll protect you,” Shiro said earnestly. “Until the end of our days, I’ll make sure harm never comes your way.”

Keith wanted to fight it. Every nerve in his body was screaming for it. But…he was so _tired_. He was tired of fighting. But more than that, he was tired of running. He had met his end and he knew it.

“Okay,” Keith finally whispered, his voice a small, broken thing. He forced himself to look up at Shiro’s face.

The wolf smiled serenely at him.

”Thank you,” Shiro murmured, and Keith’s eyes slipped shut. 

**Author's Note:**

> would y'all believe this was meant to be fluffy lmao


End file.
